These Avocado Brownies are an easy gluten-free dessert, using avocado instead of oil or butter. As a result, you’ll get an extra dose of fiber and nutrients in each bite. My Chocolate Avocado Pudding and Chocolate Avocado Smoothie are such a hit, I just know that you’ll love these brownies, too!
Benefits of Avocados
Why add avocado to a perfectly good dessert? Most recipes use plenty of butter or oil to give brownies a fudgy texture, but avocado can do the same thing while also adding extra fiber to the mix.
Here’s more to love about avocados:
- They have more potassium than bananas.
- They are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids. (Specifically, they contain oleic acid, which has been linked to reducing inflammation.)
- They may help to lower total cholesterol levels. (source)
Adding avocado to your food may help to increase nutrient absorption, specifically with vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are fat soluble. (source)
If you don’t want to worry about having a ripe avocado on hand, try freezing it when you have one, so you can use it later. Frozen avocado thaws well for guacamole, is the perfect addition to smoothies (like my Kale Smoothie), and you can also use it thawed to make this brownie recipe.
How to Make Avocado Brownies
I always turn to Alton Brown for a classic take on recipes, so I started with his cocoa brownie recipe when wanting to make this one. His version calls for plenty of butter and sugar, but very little flour, which I think is key to make a rich and fudgy brownie.
In this case, I’ve swapped the sugar for low-glycemic coconut sugar, replaced the butter with a ripe avocado, and omitted the flour in favor of fiber-rich almond butter. The result is a flourless brownie that is ultra-rich and fudgy! (And naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, to boot.)
Can You Taste the Avocado?
Avocado has a relatively mild flavor that works well in baking, but if you are super-sensitive to the flavor (like I am) I think it does come through slightly on your first bite.
If you take a second bite, I find that the flavor goes almost unnoticed! (My husband says he can’t taste it at all in this recipe.)
I’ve tried to keep the sugar as low as possible in this recipe, but if you’d like to hide the avocado flavor even more, you can add 1/4 cup of maple syrup to this recipe for a sweeter-tasting result.
For a keto avocado brownie, I imagine you can use a granulated sugar substitute to replace the coconut sugar. I haven’t tested that myself, since my body doesn’t seem to agree with zero calorie sweeteners, but please leave a comment below if you give it a try so that other readers can benefit from your experience!
Avocado Brownies (Flourless & Fudgy!)
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado (about 6 ounces; 1/2 cup mashed)
- 1/2 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (use a dairy-free brand, if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. (Grease the pan first, so the parchment paper will stay in place.) In a food processor, combine the avocado (peel and pit removed), cacao powder, eggs, coconut sugar, almond butter, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. (Decorate the top with a few extra chocolate chips, if desired.)
- Bake at 325ºF for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center of the brownies looks cooked-through. (You don't want it to jiggle when you shake the pan.) Allow the brownies to cool completely. The avocado flavor is MUCH more pronounced if you try these warm, so please don't be tempted to taste them until they have come to room temperature. You can place them in the fridge if you want to speed up the cooling process, or you'll have to wait at least 2 hours for them to cool on the counter.
- Slice the brownies into small squares and serve. It's normal for this brownie to stick to the knife a bit with you cut them, since they are flourless and very fudgy. Leftovers can be stored on the counter for up to 48 hours, or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Video
Notes
Don't have a food processor? You can make these brownies in a single bowl, mashing the avocado with a fork until relatively smooth. I prefer using a food processor, but I've had good results with both methods.
- If you need a nut-free recipe, try replacing the almond butter with 1/4 cup of your favorite flour. (I'd try oat flour or a gluten-free mix, or you could use 1/2 cup of almond flour instead.)
- If you dislike the flavor of avocado, you can replace half of it with butter or oil instead to ease yourself into the idea. I'd try 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter to replace half of an avocado.
- For a keto avocado brownie, try using a granulated sugar-free sweetener to replace the coconut sugar. (And let me know how it goes, please!)
- For a vegan avocado brownie, omit the eggs and replace them with 1/4 cup of all-purpose gluten-free flour, and increase the almond butter to a 1/2 cup total.
Nutrition
More Avocado Desserts
If you’re feeling inspired, try these popular recipes, too!
- Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
- Cherry Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Avocado Ice Cream
- Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
- Avocado Fudgsicles
If you try these Avocado Brownies, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like them! And if you make a modification or substitution, please let me know how that works out for you, too. We can all benefit from hearing about your experience.
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried adding avocado to a dessert?
Made these brownies a couple of weeks ago and they were devoured in minutes! I used AP flour since I didn’t have almond butter. Got some avocados today to make them again!
Trying to limit my baking to the weekends, but I had an avocado that simply HAD to be used, and quickly. Best excuse ever to make these brownies, which are truly delicious.
Hands down amazing!!! Better than any I’ve had ❤️
Couldn’t taste the avocado at all, tasted just like an ordinary brownie! Also worked just fine with peanut butter instead of almond 🙂
I don’t usually leave reviews but this one is worth it. Amazingly moist and super easy to make in the food processor. I did reduce the sugar to half (1/2 cup instead) and reduced the bake time to 25 minutes and it was perfect. I wanted to try to freeze this but I don’t think I will have any left over to do that!
I made this for my darter. She has a condition that she can not eat any grains. So she very seldom eats sweets. I made this recipe and she ate a small piece. She was so sure she would be sick. I now make the for her always. Endless to say she did not get sick. Thank you. I need make this recipe for all my family and friends
They were moist and did not taste of avo at all but had a very unpleasant bitter aftertaste? The baking powder perhaps?
I did not use coconut sugar but used lakanto monk fruit and it came out fantastic. I also put them in cupcake pan and cooked for 20 minutes. So pumped for a special treat once in a while
These brownies were SO good!!! I used black cocoa powder instead of regular and it made them taste like an Oreo and a brownie had a baby! I’m sharing this recipe with everyone! 💛
I replaced the coconut sugar with half a cup of xylitol syrup I had made before. I left out the choc chips as I didn’t have dairy free ones. It is so fudgy and amazing. I’ve been trying numerous brownie recipes and yours is by far the best with less almond butter, no coconut oil. Delicious. Sooo good!!
I tried VERY HARD to follow your steps, but I just could NOT resist having a bite right when the brownies came out of the oven! I did not have coconut sugar, so I used brown sugar instead. The brownies turned out so moist and fudgy. I could not taste any avocado at all! My husband just tried a piece, and he wanted to eat the whole batch. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Ha!! I’m glad they were a hit for both you and your husband! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know.
This is great, used peanut butter instead and tastes amazing. Did not read the title and was surprised it was flour-less.
Excellent! My children had no idea there was even avocado in them. A delicious and healthy alternative! Thank you!
I NEVER comment on receipes (serial lurker over here) but WOW did I feel compelled to comment after making these brownies! Seriously I can’t get over how chewy they are! Better than the boxed mixes and healthier. This will be my go-to brownie recipe from now on…especially since I always have these items on hand (lazy baker…)
Thanks for sharing!!!
Great clarification on the measurements! Have you tried aquafaba (chickpeas water) to replace the eggs?
I haven’t tried that yet. Let me know if you do!
I’m allergic to cocoa, if I leave it out, should I add something else to compensate? Thanks much, can’t wait to try these.
Delicious! Easy to make and so amazing.
I followed the recipe as is, and just added a tablespoon of natural maple syrup too, to cut the avocado taste.
I do suggest either using a mixer or food processor to get the mixture nice and smooth. I struggled with the whisk.
Definitely recommend and would make again!
Turned out burnt and does not taste good on my end 🙁 i think Baking at 325ºF for 45 minutes is too much
Enjoyed this recipe and will make again. Used 3/4 cup granulated sugar and dark chocolate cocoa powder. It was perfect. Not too sweet. Very fudgy and chewy especially right out of the oven. Def my go to recipe from now on.
My daughter and I 💘 these brownies…and she is very picky about her brownies. We add walnuts and peanut butter chips to it too!!! We’ve made them several times and cant keep them in the house!! They are amazing!!! Can’t even taste the avacado!!!
I went to make these and realized my avocados were bad. So I substituted bananas. I used regular peanut butter and Splenda. I also omitted the chocolate chips.
So fast and easy and tastes absolutely amazing! Everyone can’t believe there’s avocado in it.
I made these with the Lakanto Golden sweetener for a keto brownie…kept everything else the same. OMG! These are the keto brownies I have been looking for… delish!
replacement of egg in avacado brownie
I used 1/4 cup peanut butter instead of almond butter, and added 1/4 cup almond flour b/c the batter seemed wet (and small). They were perfect and my kids and I have been enjoying all week!
With some tweaking, I love these. I halve the amount sugar (too sweet otherwise) and use half an avocado + plain yogurt (to reduce calories), and bake these for about 25-30 minutes (45 minutes is way too long). I don’t taste any avocado, even when hot.
Made these yesterday and wow they are super delicious! I used Truviacane sugar and a little maple syrup instead of coconut sugar. I also added 1 teaspoon of expresso coffee powder which enhances the chocolate and yummy!! Definitely making these again!
I stuck to your recipe…I loved them and so did my husband…will make them again.
Love these! I can’t taste the avocado at all, even when warm. I used light brown sugar & accidentally overbeat them, but they turned out delicious and fudgy anyways! Definitely a darker chocolate taste, but that’s certainly not a problem for me.
Absolutely love they were delicious I wanted to bake for my 15th birthday yet my friends have a lot of food restrictions and we found this.
I made this with two flax eggs instead of regular eggs and they are perfect! Thank you!
Can you freeze these brownies?
Definitely the best brownie ever!! 😍
By mistake i only put 1/4 cup cocoa powder. i did 1/4c maple syrup and 1/4c coconut sugar..
i used larger glass bakeware.
they came out very thin but taste was good. i baked 25min.
i did another one with 1/2c cocoa powder and 1/4 C MAPLE SYRUP 1/4C COCONUT SUGAR AND A LITTLE MORE RAW SUGAR. Ibaked It for33Min. i liked the thin one better with 1/4C cocoa powder.and a larger pan..all in all they Are good.
I used half the amount of sugar (coconut sugar), and they were still sweet enough for me. They are so fudgey and delicious!!! Sharing with everyone and will definitely make them again!!!
We’ve made these several times now with our homegrown avocados. They are absolutely delicious!! I’ve diced up our excess avocado so I can make these anytime I want!
I had no almond butter or coconut sugar so used peanut butter and brown sugar. The texture is perfect but I think maybe mine suffered from omitting the chocolate chips. I think they provide necessary sweetness. Mine just tasted too salty. I do have a cold right now and admittedly just ground some sea salt in the batter vs. measuring it out. I’d advise against this. I want to try this recipe again.
I made these using brown sugar swerve and they are fantastic!
These brownies were delicious. Fudgy, yummy and easy to make. I did let them cool about 20 minutes and did not taste the avocado at all. I really loved not using flour. They were a hit as many of your recipes are. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing! They came out Fantastic! I used half of the sugar and a quarter less of the cacao …
I cooked them for 30 minutes and let cool for 20.. Fudgy and fabulous!
I made this for the first time, everyone loved it and want the recipe! I replaced half the sugar with monk fruit sweetener to lowers the carbs – perfect!
So glad I made these!! I made some modifications to the recipe:
1) used 1/4 cup qhite sugar
2) used only one small egg + a chia egg
3) used 6.5 tbsp of cocoa powder (simply cos I thought 8 sounded a bit too much? 😅)
4) used peanut butter
I only had crunchy PB on hand and I think it really enhanced the whole taste with the added peanut bits. Overall, these tasted really good!! It’s only quite recently that I feel more comfortable with consuming avocadoes but still, I’m often cautious about its taste/smell. These brownies do not taste/smell of avocado at all! It’s rich and chocolatey, and I love that it’s gluten-free!
I’m thinking about making it with black tahini or perhaps a half-half mix of tahini and PB the next time round~
Just realized that I made a typo error in my first comment. I meant that I used 1/2 cup of white sugar.
Anyway, I’ve made a second batch again with 2 tbsp of tahini and 2 tbsp of PB. They turned out as delish! I was too eager to make a second batch and I actually didn’t wait for my avocado to ripen. The avocado I used this time was really hard and solid (oops). Nonetheless, they tasted great too! The texture is of course, not as smooth as using a ripe avocado, but it tasted great too! Not gritty or anything. No problems basically. The difference in texture is only obvious when compared against each other. 😉
My family members were really impressed with these brownies too! Thank you so much for sharing this healthy recipe! 🙂
Super delicious brownies!
Batter didn’t fill the whole pan, for some reason. But they tasted okay.
My whole family loved these brownies! If i freeze them, how long would they last? Thank you!!
This is a great recipe that turns out really well. I find you don’t need that much sugar and yes you an use maple syrup. I also used peanut butter.I didn’t need to bake it near that long–about half as long. Thanks for this delicious, healthy recipe!
Soo delicious thank you!!
I made these Keto friendly by swapping out the coconut sugar with erythritol. They are DELICIOUS. So fudgey and yummy I’d make these any time!
10/10 delicious and super gooey! Everyone was shocked to find out these brownies contained avocado and are gluten free. I substituted the dark chocolate for white chocolate and added 1/4 cup golden syrup and 1/4 cup honey for extra sweetness. I also used normal butter instead of almond butter which worked fine.
Amazing recipe!! I didn’t have almond butter so used ghee butter instead so fudgey and delicious!!